Upper body toning device

ABSTRACT

An upper body toning device includes adjustable handles for various grip positions providing various angles of muscle resistance. The handles may be pressed inward along guide rails while countered by a resistance element. Multiple resistance elements may be included that may be removable providing adjustable resistance. A pulley system may be included on separable handles allowing still yet, more exercises to be performed.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally relates to exercise systems, and moreparticularly, to an upper body toning device.

Exercises devices for developing and toning the upper body typicallyuse, for example, static handles in a fixed position. For example, chinup bars may employ straight bars bolted to a door frame or against awall surface. The hand grip on a chin up bar can be either over hand orunder hand and the hands may be spaced either closer together or fartherapart. However, the resistance always remains the body weight of theperson sans any additional weight tied to the user.

Other devices may include resistance bands that are hand held with endspulled apart. This may be effective for movement that pulls away howeveroffers no development for movement that opposes inward forces. Moreover,hand held bands may be difficult to balance when held.

Other more complex equipment may uses pulley systems that requiredifferent pulleys and handles for each type of exercise performed.

As can be seen, there is a need for an exercise device that can befixedly mounted while providing inward pushed muscle resistance. Thereis also a need for a device that can provide adjustability in thehandles to allow different angles of attacking muscle development.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In one aspect of the present invention, an upper body toning devicecomprises a base; outer frame walls attached to the base; a pair ofguide rails attached to ends of the base and to the outer frame walls,the guide rails positioned parallel to one another; one or more handlesadjustably coupled to the guide rods that are slidable along the guiderails, the handles adapted to be locked into a plurality of fixedpositions; and a resistance element connected on one end to one of theouter frame walls and on the other end to an inner frame wall attachedto the guide rods.

In another aspect of the present invention, an upper body toning devicecomprises a base; outer frame walls attached to the base; a pair ofguide rails attached to ends of the base and to the outer frame walls,the guide rails positioned parallel to one another; a pair of sleds onopposite ends of the guide rails; one or more handles attached to eachsled; and a plurality of resistance elements connected on one end to oneof the outer frame walls and removably connected on the other end to oneof the sleds.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of an upper body toning device according to anexemplary embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a side view of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view of the device of FIG. 1 as used in a laterallymounted position;

FIG. 4 is a side view of the device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a front view of the device of FIG. 3;

FIG. 6 is a side view of the device of FIG. 1 as used in a verticallymounted position for performing curls; and

FIG. 7 is a side view of the device of FIG. 6 as used for a triceppress.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following detailed description is of the best currently contemplatedmodes of carrying out exemplary embodiments of the invention. Thedescription is not to be taken in a limiting sense, but is made merelyfor the purpose of illustrating the general principles of the invention,since the scope of the invention is best defined by the appended claims.

Broadly, an embodiment of the present invention generally provides adevice that can be fixed to a vertical support to provide resistance tohuman body movements. The device promotes toning in the chest, arms andshoulders of the user.

Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, an upper body toning device 10 accordingto an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is shown wallmounted. The device 10 may include handles 18, a pair of guide rails 16,and a resistance element 26 between two or more of the handles 18. Theguide rails 16 may be parallel to one another. The handles 18 may beattached to the guide rails 16. In an exemplary embodiment, the device10 may include a left and right side sled 25. The sled 25 may includethe handles 18 arranged so that both the left and right sides of thedevice 10 include an upper handle 18 and a lower handle 18 with theresistance element 26 proximate the upper and lower handles 18 andbetween the guide rails 16.

In an exemplary embodiment, the resistance element 26 may be, forexample, a resistance band or recoil spring. The resistance element 26may be attached from one end to an outer frame support wall 28 viafasteners 24 and from another end to an internal frame support wall 30on the sled 25. The resistance element 26 may be attached to guide rods20 on the sled 25 that are disposed to slide along the guide rails 16.In an exemplary embodiment, the device 10 may include more than oneresistant element 26 per side which may be removably fastened to thesupport wall 30 by linkages 32 to provide adjustable resistance. Aresistance level may be set by attaching from one to three resistancebands or recoil springs. A user may grasp a pair of the handles 18 (leftand right side) and, for example, press the handles 18 toward oneanother along the guide rails 16. A dampener 22 may be on one of theguide rails 16, intermediate opposing left and right side resistanceelements 26. The dampener 22 may slow down and oppose inward movement ofthe sleds 25 toward one another. Dampeners 24 may also be at theterminal end of each guide rail 16, however, these dampeners are notshown for sake of illustration.

In one aspect, the device 10 may include adjustable handles 18 toprovide various grip positioning of exercises. For example, the handles18 may use tilt and pivot pins (not shown) to move the handles from oneposition to be locked into another. The handles 18 may be placed, forexample, at three fixed points of hand positioning. Thus, for example,the left and right side upper handles 18 may be positioned to projectfrom a first pitch angle from the mounting surface while the lowerhandles 18 may be positioned to project from a second pitch angle fromthe mounting surface.

The device 10 may also include a base mount 12 and a base 14 carryingthe sleds 25, guide rails 16, and frame support walls 28. The base 14may be two separate pieces that attach to, for example, a wall or othersturdy object and can have a total length of about 22 inches. The guiderails 16 may have, for example, a length of from about 50 inches toabout 54 inches and a diameter or width of approximately 1 inch. Theguide rails 16 may be fastened to the base 14 and may extend from end 13to end 17. The guide rails 16 may also have buffer rings (not shown) atthe base 14 attaching point for quiet operation.

Referring now to FIGS. 1-5, the device 10 is shown wall mounted in ahorizontal position with ends 13 and 17 lateral to one another and theguide rails 16 parallel to the ground surface. The horizontally mounteddevice 10 may be installed about chest high for the user.

Referring now to FIGS. 6 and 7, the device 10 is shown wall mounted in avertical position with ends 13 and 17 being in-line with one another andperpendicular to the ground surface. In another aspect, the handles 18may be connected to a pulley system 35 attached to the resistanceelement 26. The handles 18 may be separable from the sled 25 so that apair of handles from either end 13 or end 17 may be drawn up together(for example, when performing curling exercises) or pushed downwardtogether (for example, during tricep press-down exercises). While usingthe pulley 35, the sleds 25 may be fixed into place.

It should be understood, of course, that the foregoing relates toexemplary embodiments of the invention and that modifications may bemade without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as setforth in the following claims.

We claim:
 1. An upper body toning device, comprising: a base; outerframe walls attached to the base; a pair of guide rails attached to endsof the base and to the outer frame walls, the guide rails positionedparallel to one another; one or more handles adjustably coupled to theguide rods that are slidable along the guide rails, the handles adaptedto be locked into a plurality of fixed positions; and a resistanceelement connected on one end to one of the outer frame walls and on theother end to an inner frame wall attached to the guide rods.
 2. Theupper body toning device of claim 1 further comprising a pulley attachedto at least one of the handles, wherein the at least one of the handlesis separable from the guide rods.
 3. The upper body toning device ofclaim 1 wherein the handles are adjustable in a pitch angle from amounting surface.
 4. The upper body toning device of claim 1 wherein thehandles are coupled to sleds that are attached to the guide rods.
 5. Theupper body toning device of claim 4 wherein there are left and rightside sleds movable to one another along the guide rails.
 6. The upperbody toning device of claim 5 further comprising a dampener on the guiderails intermediate the left and right side sleds.
 7. An upper bodytoning device, comprising: a base; outer frame walls attached to thebase; a pair of guide rails attached to ends of the base and to theouter frame walls, the guide rails positioned parallel to one another; apair of sleds on opposite ends of the guide rails; one or more handlesattached to each sled; and a plurality of resistance elements connectedon one end to one of the outer frame walls and removably connected onthe other end to one of the sleds.
 8. The upper body toning device ofclaim 7 wherein the resistance elements are resistance bands.
 9. Theupper body toning device of claim 7 further comprising a pulley systemattached to the one or more handles and coupled to the plurality ofresistance elements.
 10. The upper body toning device of claim 9 whereinthe one or more handles are separable from one or more of the sleds.